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Chandigarh, Sep 5 (PTI): With the Congress on Saturday replacing Bhupesh Bhagel and appointing Sachin Pilot as general secretary in-charge of Punjab, his immediate challenge will be to address factionalism within the state unit ahead of crucial state assembly elections.

The development came just a few months ahead of the Punjab Assembly elections, which are due early next year.

At a time when other political parties have stepped up preparations for the crucial assembly elections, the Congress was largely seen firefighting the internal feud and bickering despite repeated assertions by the party leadership that the efforts were underway to strengthen the organisational unity ahead of the state assembly polls.

The infighting was triggered after the Congress leadership on July 1 announced its decision to retain Amrinder Singh Raja Warring as the state unit chief and appoint former chief minister Charanjit Singh Channi as the chairperson of its campaign committee.

A section of leaders led by Channi opposed the move to retain Warring as the Punjab Congress president and sought his removal from the position.

The supporters of Channi have been seeking that he be announced as the chief ministerial face for the 2027 assembly polls.

Baghel's recent visits to Punjab failed to bring an apparent truce between the two warring factions, with factionalism becoming increasingly visible at party programmes.

Baghel's visits to Punjab coincided with the intensification of factionalism between the Channi and Warring camps.

During the party's 'Har Booth, Congress Mazboot' campaign from July 31 till August 8, there was an open display of infighting, with Channi's supporters raising slogans -- Channi lyao, Punjab bachao' (bring Channi, save Punjab) -- in his favour and verbal clashes between loyalists of Channi and Warring at many meetings.

Baghel too faced opposition with "Go back Baghel" posters surfacing in Muktsar.

In one of the events in Ludhiana, some people wearing T-shirts bearing the slogan "Baghel Go Back" were also spotted, and the situation escalated when Warring referred to the protesters as "RSS agents".

Despite factionalism over the state leadership, Baghel maintained that after the high command had taken a decision, it could not be changed.

Amid internal rift, 15 Congress MLAs last month even wrote to party leader Rahul Gandhi, seeking a meeting with him to discuss "pressing" issues.

With factionalism within the Punjab Congress unit not showing any signs of easing, the party is banking on a proposed bus yatra by Rahul Gandhi to project unity and energise its cadre ahead of the elections.

"The yatra is likely to take place around September 15, which is the tentative date fixed for the yatra," Baghel had said.

All state leaders are expected to join the yatra.

For Pilot, who has experience in handling organisational matters within the Congress, bringing the warring camps together and ensuring a united campaign could be among his first priorities in Punjab. PTI CHS VSD AMJ AMJ

(This story is published as part of the auto-generated syndicate wire feed. No editing has been done in the headline or the body by ABP Live.)